oil on canvas
30" x 24"
April 2005
[COMMISSIONED]

I was commissioned to paint “first light” as a companion that would hang near another piece I had done called “twilight.”

As my husband and I were flying home from a much-needed vacation to Zihuatanejo, Mexico (which we would highly recommend by the way) I was inspired by the way the Illinois farm fields looked like a big beautiful patch-work quilt. The quilt I saw was predominantly made of greens and browns and was very flat. I took my artistic license and added some hills and a variety of unknown yet colorful crops.

I’m also amazed by the limitlessness to the number of shades of blue that the sky can take on from day to day. So this painting is my interpretation of a sunrise flight over a very happy farming community.

[ The painting called "first light" can now be viewed in person, sailing across Lake Michigan, as it is part of the Lake Express high speed ferry's permanent collection of paintings. http://www.lake-epress.com ]